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"ilt 1 lois State Centennial 



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Commission 



REPORT 



1 

X OF THE 



Committee for Publications 



November 19, 1913. 



v^ 



Illinois State Centennial 
Commission 



REPORT 



OF THE 



Committee for Publications 



November 19, 1913. 



Bui these latter subjects would represent Illinois as it is in 1918, 
at the close of the first century, and, hence, to complete -the historical 
picture in the minds of our people, a volume oughl to be planned show- 
ing the economic and social conditions in Illinois in L818. For the 
sake of our chronological vision of the development of the State and 
also for the purpose of bringing the Centennial Celebration vividly 
before ns, this volume oughl to be published as soon as practicable, and 
would serve to create publicity and interest. This subject could certainly 
be worked out in a very readable and attractive way. 

[Jpon this consideration, and with the aid of specialists on the 
various subjects, your Committee" has evolved the following scheme of 
publications, embracing not onlv the political history, hut also all the 
phases of the development of the people of Illinois, economic, social. 
religious, educational, and military. The different volumes may he 
written by different men, hut there should he a general editor to correlate 
them. The following tentative plan is suggested: 

Centennial History of Illinois. 

Volume I. • Province and Territory, L673-1818. 

Volume II. The Frontier State, 1818-1848. 

Volume III. The Era of Transition, 1848-1870. 

Volume IV. The Industrial Slate. L870-1893. 

Volume V. The Modern Commonwealth, L893-1918. 

Estimated Expense. 

Transcripts from Paris $ L,000 00 

Transcripts from Washington 3,000 00 

Transcripts from private collections 1,000 00 

Photographs of newspapers 5,000 00 

Books ' 3,5o 

Three research assistants ( I years) 12,000 on 

One stenographer ( \y 2 years) 3,375 00 

Photostat ion no 

Supplies 1,001 

Traveling expenses '1,500 00 

Printing 10,000 00 



$10.;;;, 00 
In contrasl with this purely historical series are the later Publica- 
tion.-, which are recommended to consist of an extensive survey of the 
Commonwealth at the close of the hist century to be entitled: "The 



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Illinois Centennial Survey," and to be published in three scries, as 
follows : 

A. GEOLOGIC \l. SER] I's. 

Volume I. Physiography and General Geology. 

Volume 1 1. Tin" M ineral I adustries. 

Volume III. Meteorology, Climate, Water, and Soils. 

Estimated Expense. 

Printing $9,000 00 

Assistants I I years) 8,000 00 

Other expenses 3,000 00 

$20,000 00 

B. BIOLOGICAL SERIES. 

Volume 1. General Biology. 
Volume 1 1. Economic Biology. 
Volume 1 1 T. Economic Biology. 

Estimated Expense. 

Printing $9,000 00 

Assistants 5,000 00 

Other expenses ■ 1,000 00 

$.15,000 00 

c. ECONOM [C SERI] S. 

Volume T. Transportation and Commerce. 

Volume II. Agriculture. 

Volume III. Manufacl ures. 

Volume IV. Banking and Finance. 

Estimated Expense. 

Printing $ 8,000 00 

Assistants 10,000 00 

Other expenses 5,1 

$23, 00 

To make this Survej more comprehensive, a Social Series might 
be added, containing volumes on Government, Social Conditions, Reli- 



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gion, Education, and Publishing Activities. The preparation of some 
of the volumes of this series would be very difficult, and no data is at 
hand on which recommendations could be based. Therefore no estimate 
for such a scries is presented. 

As already stated, your Committee advises that the Centennial 
Commission publish as its first issue a volume setting forth the condi- 
tion of the State aboul the time of its admission to the Union. Such 
a volume would be one of the hest means of calling attention to the 
great development of the State during the firs! century, and it would 
arouse the interest of the people in the future Centennial Celebration. 
For tins purpose it might be well to publish the volume a few years 
before L918. The following is suggested as an outline of the proposed 
volume : 

Illinois iii /.s'/.sv An Account of Social. Economic and Political 
Conditions at the Close of the Territorial 1'eriod; of tin' Organization 
of the State; and of its Admission to the Union. 

Chapter I. Population: Census in L818; A Study of the Sched- 
ules; Elements of Population; Extenl of Settlement. 

Chapter II. Social Conditions on the Frontiers; Mow the Pioneers 
Lived. 

Chapter III. Economic Conditions; Agriculture; Transportation; 
Manufacturing : Etc. 

Chapter IV. Religious Conditions. 

Chapter Y. Education and Culture; Schools: Newspapers; Read- 
ing. 

Chapter VI. The Political Situation; Territorial Factions; Polit- 
ical Leaders. 

Chapter VII. The Movement for Admission. 

Chapter VIII. Congregational Action. 

Chapter IX. Election of L818 and Organization. 

Chapter X. The First General Assembly; It- Composition; Activ- 
ii Ies : First ( !ode of Paws : Etc. 

This volume, by title and format, would lie an integral pari of the 
whole series ami would he published first, as a matter of expediency. 

The volume should contain Erom 350 to t00 pages. It should he 
a narrative, embodying documents and extensive quotations from books 
of travel and contemporary newspapers. It should he richly illustrated 
with reproductions of portraits, contemporary prints and maps, and 
photographs of old houses, furniture, and implements. If a reasonable 
amount of money could he made available at once for the collection of 
the material, it is believed that such a volume could he ready for publi- 
cation in the fall of 1915. 



Estimated Expense. 

Preparation of manuscripts $ 500 00 

Printing and distributing of edition of 10,000 '..... 9,500 00 



$10,000 i)i) 
Such a Survey of the Slate, if prepared with scientific thorough- 
ness by experts in the respective fields, would be of immense practical 
value in the solution of many present day problems which confront the 

people of the State, and would furnish the future historian with a 
valuable mass of material. No comprehensive and unified survey of 

this sort has ever been carried out by any other state or country and 
the work would attract the attention of scholars and scientific men all 
over the world and would set an example for others to follow. 

Estimated Total Expense. 

Centennial History $40,775 00 

Geological Series 20,000 00 

Biological Series L5,000 00 

Economic Series 23,000 00 

Illinois in 1818 L0,000 00 



$108,775 00 
Prom a review of the different chapters of a publication of this 
kind we see that the Historical Series would appeal rather more to the 
cultured and those historically inclined while the three series devoted 
to Geology, Biology, and Economics will he of great practical import to 
every one engaged in any industry relating to these subjects. The 
farmer, the miner, the cattleman, the fisherman, the merchant, the 
skilled laborer, as well as the financier, will find the fundamentals of 
his trade or business treated in the most' searching manner in the 
Publications. These vocations are already conducted on scientific prin- 
ciples and must necessarily progress by the still greater application of 
science. It is well known that the ordinary resources of our State are 
not yet cultivated to their proper extent. Through a Centennial Publi- 
cation, appearing at a time when all attention will he directed to the 
greatness of our State, a stronger impression on our people may be 
hoped for than at ordinary times \>y the usual bulletins. 

These three practical series are particularly set prominent in this 
reporl so as to disarm the opinion that the Publication, issued at great 
cost, is to he of mere academic value to those of historical or literary 
inclination. The practical value will by far outstrip the other. Your 



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Committee believes it will become a handbook of information for the 

future pioneer and pro tor of the work of the State. Whatever attracts 

and develops further enterprise in our State will help to retain, and. we 
hope, advance its prestige still farther in the scale of its importance and 
influence in the galaxy of our state-. 

A.s the work can be carried on in definite steps only, the expense 
will be distributed over perhaps five or six years and thus the appro- 
priations can be divided into perhaps three parts, extending over three 
sessions of the Legislature. 

The attention of the Commission is called to the fad thai the 
estimates do not include any compensation for the services of editors or 

a ut hors. 

The editions had best be limited to three thousand copies. Your 
Committee believes that this number would be sufficient, as the Com- 
mission oughl not to undertake to supply the Publications to others 
than legislators, officials, schools and libraries of the State, while larger 
editions could be printed by the Legislatures for the public and furnished 
at a verv reasonable price to cover the expense of its reproduction and 
carriage. 

On account of the lack of time, especially if it is necessary to wait 
for the next session of the Legislature, it behooves your Committee 
to suggest that nevertheless some arrangements ought to be made for 
the beginning of the work: this, first of all. implies some available plan 
for securing editors. This would necessitate the appointment of a chief 
editor or a board of editors and of sub-editors. Fortunately, within 
the last ten to fifteen year- specialist- in all these departments have been 
developed, especially in the Stale institutions of learning, whose work 
would naturally he correlated to the demands within the State. Bui as 
no available funds for the larger beginning of the work are at hand 
now. it will he necessary to arrange in sonic way with suitable persons 
to undertake the editorships. Your Committee believes this perfectly 
feasible, providing that the Commission, in some way. will eventually 
compensate the chosen editors for the preliminary work at the time of 
completion or earlier, when in funds. 

Some guarantee ought also be given against any wilful, unreason- 
able change of editorship. 

Perhaps the Commission might even now find some sum out of the 
present appropriation for the immediate beginning of the "1818" hook. 

The time of publication of this first volume has not yet been suffi- 
ciently di-cussed, probably not before 1916, if the plan of publication is 
accented at all. The others need not he issued till the Celebration; 



even then some of the scientific volumes could be withheld til] trie year 
1919, so as to completely close the firsl century of our stateh I. 

SUM MARY. 

Your Committee recommends thai a Centennial Publication of 
approximately sixteen volumes, six historical and ten scientific, be 
adopted. 

Thai the cost of $108,000.00 ( without compensation of the 
authors) be distributed over three legislative sessions; the firsl appro- 
priation mighl be considerably less than one even third and then the 
later appropriations as the Centennial approaches, mighl be correspond- 
ingly increased. 

Thai some method of a linn contract with the authors should he 
devised so as jo obtain an early star! and also to secure them againsl 
unwarranted removal. 

That the hooks of the social and industrial conditions of 1818 
should he the first published. 

Resped fully submitted, 

Fob tiik Committee 

Otto L. Schmidt, Chairman 

November 19, 1913. 



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